The Civil War Museum is located in downtown Indianapolis, in the lower level of The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This large and unusual exhibition space reflects on the causes of the Civil War, its battles and life for those left at home. The history is told through displays of artifact, photographs, and the letters and diaries of the Hoosiers.
There are exhibitions charting every aspect of the Civil War including the causes of the war, the Home Front - highlighting family life back home, and the role of women who organized supplies and took on the men's traditional roles including shopkeeping, and planting and harvesting crops.
Other exhibitions focus on life for the Hoosiers away from home, including their training, camp life, the equipment they used, and the long marches they had to endure. The connecting corridor between the museum's large galleries features the route of the Hoosier Troops,- their marches and then on to the battlefields where visitors can get a sense of the smell, sounds, and sights of the battle. The aftermath of the battlefields is brought home in the Hospitals exhibit which features the unsanitary conditions and rudimentary medical equipment, and the plight of Prisoners of War is also explored.
Following the war veterans kept contact with each other to share their experiences and support one another. The veterans wanted to commemorate the lives lost — over 24,000 Hoosiers — and as a result the Soldiers' and Sailor's Monument was constructed. Visitors can visit the upper levels of the monument for panoramic views of the city.
